Gigabyte H55/H57 motherboard discussion

Azza · 14 Jan 2010 at 21:46

Little thread for all those owners of Gigabyte H55/H57 motherboards.

The motherboards

H57

GA-H57M-USB3 - click

Layout & rear I/O

H55

GA-H55M-S2H - click

Layout & rear I/O

GA-H55M-UD2H - click

Layout & rear I/O

GA-H55-UD3H - click

Layout & rear I/O

GA-H55M-USB3 - click

Layout & rear I/O

Specification comparison

All these motherboards support Intel's Core i7, Core i5 and Core i3 LGA 1156 socket processors with the first F1 BIOS which ships with the motherboards. See below for links to specific board BIOS releases.

Azza · 14 Jan 2010 at 21:47

BIOS

GA-H57M-USB3

F1 (first release) - here

GA-H55M-S2H

F1 (first release) - here

GA-H55M-UD2H

F1 (first release) - here
F2 (Update VGA BIOS) - here
F3 (Improve DualBIOS recovery function) - here
F4 (Fix PVAP function) - here
F5m (add Internal Graphics clock option) **Beta BIOS** - here

GA-H55-UD3H

F1 (first release) - here
F2 (Fix VGA Boot priority) - here
F3 (Fix POST Sign on message error) - here

GA-H55M-USB3

F2 (first release) - here

mike gunnz · 14 Jan 2010 at 23:08

I've been out of the desktop malarkey for a few months so I'm not really up on I3/I5/I7 at all.

I'm looking to build an M-ATX rig on a budget so these Gigabyte boards look perfect. Is I3 any good for gaming or do I need to go I5/I7?

Edit/ Did a search so have answered my own question.

Azza · 14 Jan 2010 at 23:58

^

Here are some close ups of the GA-H55M-UD2H.

Motherboard with CPU in

CPU socket

Sata ports & front panel connectors

RAM slots

Rear I/O

Couple of points about the motherboard layout from just looking at it. Don't have my memory yet so havn't been able to test anything.

There are only two fans headers. One for the CPU at the left end of the mosfets. and the other is at the back of the bottom PCI-E slot.

RAM slots are really close to the top PCI-E slot, Don't think they will open fully with a graphics card in.

Only 5 on board SATA ports.

Quite a big of space around the CPU socket to put a nice big cooler on if you like.

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 18:51

My RAM arrived today, so I'm ready to go.

Just installing W7.

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 19:49

Now I'm installing XP as I'm having some strange issues trying to install W7 & Vista. :confused:

HeX · 15 Jan 2010 at 20:16

Running Win7 on the H55M-UD2H now:

Currently using on chip GPU until my new graphics arrive on Monday

(The Corsair XMP profile OC's the chip a small amount so it can run at 1600MHz)

H50 cooling, single fan, in an Antec P180 Mini.

Silence

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 20:25

Good stuff HeX.

I'm about to try installing again but using the onboard graphics, hopefully it'll be all right now.

HeX · 15 Jan 2010 at 20:30

There's newer Intel Graphics drivers on their site, don't use the ones on the CD as they are from November, works a treat

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 20:55

Seems to be installing fine using the on-board graphics, it's nearly done.

I've got a HD4850, got no idea why it's being strange with that plugged in.

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 21:58

Right got W7 installed.

One annoying point...the clear CMOS is behind the SATA ports, and obviously the cables get in the way of it. And the mobo doesn't come with a jumper cap, :confused:

HeX · 15 Jan 2010 at 23:24

Azza said:
And the mobo doesn't come with a jumper cap,

Yeah, noticed that, very strange!

Azza · 15 Jan 2010 at 23:26

Never mind, will just have to nab one from my EVGA 680i and keep it safe!

Come on HeX, get a move on.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=952508

HeX · 19 Jan 2010 at 09:31

That was when I was still using the IGP.

I've got a dedicated GPU in now (as of last night), so will go for higher now

Azza, are you using a dedicated card now? For some reason even though i've got a card in the PCI-E slot the system is still reserving 128MB for the on Package IGP.

:confused:

Alistair · 19 Jan 2010 at 21:57

Can you confirm that the Gigabyte H55M-UD2H is definitely matx?

Some sites inc. Gigabyte have it as ATX. Any feedback on bluray playback using this motherboard & the i3 530?

Desperate to give this setup a try in my htpc

TIA

HeX · 20 Jan 2010 at 09:02

It is deffo mATX as I have it fitted in an Antec P180 'Mini' which is mATX only

Blu-Ray playback no idea, don't have a drive so couldn't say.

Alistair · 20 Jan 2010 at 09:07

HeX said:
It is deffo mATX as I have it fitted in an Antec P180 'Mini' which is mATX only

Blu-Ray playback no idea, don't have a drive so couldn't say.

Thanks for that - I guess it would have been difficult to get a full size atx in the mini

I don't want to spend the extra cash on a core i5 if I don't need it. Would be using the IGP only

HeX · 20 Jan 2010 at 11:34

Well the i3 with HyperThreading has a lot of grunt while being very very low power and cool running.

It out performs a Q6600 in every test, even in multi threaded stuff, so it'll be more than capable of powering a HTPC.

I gave the IGP a try, and it works very well, I couldn't try anything media wise, but for using windows, and basic gaming it worked a treat.

Easily played stuff like UT2K3, Quake 3, Guild Wars, Portal, Torchlight etc. all ran fine.

This article here:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/18216/5

Says that Blu-Ray playback using the IGP was flawless.

They used the i5 661 which has the faster 900MHz IGP (vs 733MHz on the i3 530), but I can't see the i3 version not handling it.

Also the F5 bios of the Gigabyte board allows you to OC the IGP if you want, and I bet it'd do the same 900MHz no fuss.

Alistair · 20 Jan 2010 at 11:48

HeX said:
Well the i3 with HyperThreading has a lot of grunt while being very very low power and cool running.

It out performs a Q6600 in every test, even in multi threaded stuff, so it'll be more than capable of powering a HTPC.

I gave the IGP a try, and it works very well, I couldn't try anything media wise, but for using windows, and basic gaming it worked a treat.

Easily played stuff like UT2K3, Quake 3, Guild Wars, Portal, Torchlight etc. all ran fine.

This article here:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/18216/5

Says that Blu-Ray playback using the IGP was flawless.

They used the i5 661 which has the faster 900MHz IGP (vs 733MHz on the i3 530), but I can't see the i3 version not handling it.

Also the F5 bios of the Gigabyte board allows you to OC the IGP if you want, and I bet it'd do the same 900MHz no fuss.

Thanks thats very hepful

Alistair · 22 Jan 2010 at 06:10

Hex

I'm setup with the gigabyte motherboard & i3 CPU now & the install went fine. However, In my device manager (Wn 7 x64 ) I have a pci simple communications controller with no drivers. Tried searching for it on the gigabyte motherboard disk but no luck. Do you have that also?
TIA
Alistair

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Gigabyte H55/H57 motherboard discussion